Gender and age differences in eating and drinking risk behaviors in Italian high school students

Abstract

Drunkorexia, limiting food intake before alcohol consumption, increases teenagers and young adults’ risk for negative alcohol-related health consequences.

The purpose of the present study is to explore gender and age differences regarding weight management behaviors and alcohol consumption among 3004 students aged 13 to 24 years.

The following questionnaires were administered: Eating Disorder Inventory-3 (EDI-3), Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and Compensatory Eating and Behaviors in Response to Alcohol Consumption Scale (CEBRACS).

EDI-3 showed that 11.3% of the sample met the threshold on the “Drive for Thinness” (DT) scale, 28.9% on the “Bulimia” (B) scale, 17.2% on the “Body Dissatisfaction” (BD) scale. Females presented a higher risk at DT, B and BD scales (P < 0.001), and the risk of bulimia was higher in those aged ≤ 16 years (P = 0.028). AUDIT revealed a greater clinical risk of alcohol-related problems in males (P < 0.001) and in those aged > 16 years (P < 0.001). Drunkorexia was found in 44% of the sample, without significant difference in relation to gender and age.

Girls and younger students have more weight concerns, while boys and older students are at greater risk of alcohol use disorders. Therefore, no specific group should be considered risk-free with respect to drunkorexia.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.